No time to waste
by VampirePrincess86
Summary: Will they be able to save Olivia and Casey before its to late? PLEASE REVIEW! Sadly I do not own SVU or any of its Charactors. THE STORY IS FINISHED! :
1. Taken

Olivia sat in her chair thinking back on the days events. This probably had been the worst day this week. First, their perp got them into a high speed chase, then in interrogation he attacked Munch and Elliot, threatened Casey, and his snotty lawyer got the judge to set his bail at only one hundred thousand dollars. Now this perp was out in the world again where he can harm another woman. During interrogation, he punched Elliot hard in the face and got Munch in the stomach. But their worries were with Casey. It was not the first time one of their ADA's was threatened. After what happened to Alex they were not taking it lightly. Elliot walked by and interrupted her thoughts. "Hey, how are you?" She asked as he sat down at his desk.

"I'm fine. Just some bruises." He looked at his watch and it was just about time for Casey to be heading home. They had told her that from now on she would be escorted home, especially now that he is out on bail. They grabbed their jackets and checked their guns before heading out.

"Elliot, I have a bad feeling about this guy. He can't be working alone." Olivia said as they got into the car. Elliot's thoughts drifted back to the interrogation.

"_Tell us who you're working for!" Elliot said out loud. He was loosing his patience. He could also sense the frustration coming from Casey and Olivia who were on the other side of the glass. _

"_If I tell you, well then it would ruin the fun." He said with a laugh. _

"_This isn't a game. You have 3 woman who pointed you out as their rapist! You're a dead man." Munch said as he put his hands on the table. _

_He smirked and leaned back in his chair. "Now why would Velez want that?"_

Casey put all of her file inside her brief before sitting down in her chair to take a deep breath. Today had been the longest day ever and she just wanted to go home and relax. He rested her elbows on her desk and put her head in her hands. She tried to fight back the headache that was coming. He thoughts drifted back onto the days events leading up to arraignment.

_She stood outside the interrogation room watching with Olivia as Elliot and Munch questioned the perp. He was being a smartass during the whole questioning process surprisingly he didn't lawyer up. "There's something going on here." _

"_Why do you say that?" Cragen asked. _

"_A man who was pointed out by three woman as their rapist, doesn't lawyer up?" Casey said in a almost smartass tone. "He's not afraid." _

"_Sit down!" They looked up as Elliot yelled._

"_Tell me, how is your new ADA? She had better play nice. You don't want her to end up like Alex, now do you?"_

He mind drifted back to reality as she heard two knocks on her door. "Casey, its Liv and Elliot." She heard Olivia's voice from the other side of the door.

"Come in." Casey said as she straightens her self in the chair.

"Hey, you ready to go?" Elliot said as they stepped into her office.

"Yeah, let me grab my coat." She got up and grabbed her things and they headed out of her office. They waited for her to lock her door before heading out to the car. "You know, you guys don't have to do this."

"Casey, you're our friend and we want you to be safe." Olivia said as she put her arm on Casey's shoulder. They smiled at each other.

"Now isn't that cute." Elliot said trying to lighten up the mood.

"Shut up and get in."

The ride to Casey's apartment was quite she had fallen asleep in the back seat. "Elliot, can you carry her up stairs?" He nodded and went to open the back door to get her out of the car. She only moaned as he moved her.

"She much be exhausted." she said as Olivia held the door opened for him. They took the elevator to her apartment. They walked in and Olivia checked the apartment before Elliot laid her down on her bed.

As he took off her shoes, Olivia checked the closet, bathroom and under the bed. "All clear." She said as she walked to the doorway.

They walked back out into the living room and checked around one more time. Elliot went to the window and looked out side. "You think she'll be fine?"

"The coast is clear. But my bet is if he really wanted to go after one of us, he'd go to where it would hurt is most." Elliot said. He looked at Olivia who was yawning.

"Get some rest. You need it." Olivia threw a pillow at him and laughed. A few hours had past and they were fast asleep. Casey woke up and walked into the living room to find Elliot sleeping on the lazy boy and Olivia spread out on the sofa. She laughed and headed back to her room and grabbed a blanket for them. She stopped dead in her tracks when she heard a noise behind her.

"Casey," She heard a whisper and turned around to see Elliot standing there with his gun drawn. He put his fingers to his lips and motioned for her to be quiet. She nodded and sat stood flat against the wall. She saw Olivia who had her gun drawn heading towards her. Elliot pointed to the door, as the knob began to turn. Olivia stood next to Casey. The door opened and a can of some sort rolled in releasing smoke in the entire apartment. Olivia reached for her phone to call for back up when she heard shots being fired.

"Elliot?" She asked worried. She heard footsteps coming towards them and as the smoke died down she saw several men in black. She tried to fire at one of them but stopped when she felt something sharp hit the side of her neck. The last thing she remembered was the sight of Elliot on the floor before everything went black.


	2. The Proffesionals

Its here!!! Haha since 2006 it is here! Chapter 2! How has everyone been? Good year? I saw Taylor Swift in concert and hottie Taylor Lautner was there…my birthday is on the 17th and finally wrote chapter 2!! Lol Well here it goes…

"_You grabbed the detective too? The instructions were to grab the A.D.A."_

"_We got last minute instructions to grab the detective also."_

"_Who is this guy anyways?"_

"_I don't ask questions. I get the job and get the money. That's all that matters to me."_

"_We just kidnapped an Assistant District Attorney and a Detective."_

"_Yeah well soon they will be someone else's problem."_

Elliot slowly opened in his eyes to find himself in a hospital room. He felt a sharp paid shoot through his right shoulder. He didn't want to me lying in a hospital bed while Casey and Olivia were missing. He tried to get up but someone got in his way. He felt a hand on his left shoulder and turned to see Munch standing next to him. "You're not going anywhere. You almost died."

Elliot laid back down in his bed frustrated. "I cant just sit here and do nothing while Casey and Olivia are out there!"

Much walked to the end of the bed and crossed his arms. He knows Elliot too well, and that Elliot is not going to sit by and just watch. "We will find them and you're not going to be of any help with one arm. What do you remember?"

Elliot closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Last night was the one night that he did not want to replay in his mind. However, he knew that all they had to go on was any evidence at the scene and the details he can recall. "Olivia and I were in the living room. I let Olivia sleep while I took the first watch. I closed my eyes for a second to clear my mind when I heard the doorknob rattle and foot steps outside the door. I woke Liv up and went after Casey. Then all of a sudden the door flew open, smoke filled the room and shot were fired."

"We'll find them Elliot."

Fin stood in Casey's living room silently just watching CSU go over the scene. His thoughts drifted to Casey. She's had a rough couple of years. She was beaten in her office but a victim's brother and now kidnapped along with Olivia. Cragen was at the station setting up the command post and filling everyone in. They were trying to locate the man they questioned last night, Derek Warren. Derek was released on bail this morning. Cragen contacted Agent Hammond about the situation. Alex was taken back into protective custody. Derek mention of Velez during the interrogation suggested that he might be involved with him. He might have been bluffing but they didn't want to take any chances. Casey was taken along with Olivia and they didn't want to take a chance of him going after Alex next. Time was not on their side.

"Alright people listen up. ADA Casey Novak and Detective Olivia Benson were taken from Novak's home sometime this morning. Detective Stabler is in the hospital recovering from a gun shot wound he sustained from the abduction. These guys are professionals, they know what they are doing and they are good at it. CSU is finishing up at the crime scene. Derek Warren made a creditable threat against Novak last night during. He was released on bail this morning. Lets find him." Cragen knew time was running out. He had no idea what this man was capable of doing. He glanced across the room and saw Huang standing with a woman near his office. Huang nodded at him and walked in Cragen's office along with the woman. Cragen stepped into his office and shut the door behind him.

"Cragen, this is my Cousin Agent Alexis Lee, she is F.B.I. as well. We would like to help you in anyway possible." Huang said with sympathy in his voice. Olivia and Casey were like family to him.

"We've been investigating a group of contract killers. They do anything they are paid to do, from kidnapping to assassinations. We believe that one of them is a former police officer, S.W.A.T. to be more specific. We've been investigating them for about a year now." Alexis handed Cragen a manila folder containing pictures of the group members. "Their leader, Jonathon Koda former member of the Detroit S.W.A.T. team. He was relieved of his duties three years ago after he failed a psyc evaluation. They know how to clean up a crime scene leaving no evidence behind, except they slipped up this time."

Cragen new exactly what she was talking about. "One of them shot Detetive Stabler."

Cragen's office door opened and Fin stepped in. "CSU found a match on the bullet they got out of Elliot. Patrol is bring him now."


	3. Hunting Season Has Begun

**-Hey guys, sorry the last chapter was short. I wrote two pages in Microsoft Word not realizing that it was gonna be really short once I uploaded it.  
****Anyways…. I read a review stating that it was "rude" of me to "make you guys wait since 2006" for the second chapter. That was not my intention.  
****I got caught up with my other story that I completely forgot I wrote this story. Also, I'm writing a book so that's been taking up my time. You guys are  
my readers, and I love your input. Suggestions for the story are welcome. If you guys have an ideas of what you guys would like to read in the story,  
let me know and I will incorporate it into the story. **

**I am still in shock that Brittany Murphy passed away on December 20****th****, 2009. She was one of my favorite actresses. When I watch her movies, I still  
cant believe that she is gone and that we will not see her talent or hear her beautiful voice again. She was so good at what she did and she also had an  
amazing singing voice. There is a part in this chapter dedicated to her. It's a song she sang in "The Little Black Book" its called "Nobody Does It Better"  
by Carly Simon. Youtube it, its beautiful. **

**R.I.P BRITTANY MURPHY. YOUR VOICE AND BEAUTY WAS THAT OF AN ANGEL AND NOW YOU HAVE TAKEN YOUR RIGHTFUL PLACE AMONG THEM. **

**

* * *

**

Casey could hear voices around her. None of which she recognized. Her head was throbbing; it felt as if someone had took a brick and smashed it into the back  
of her skull. So tried to open her eyes and lift her head but it felt as if there was a weight weighing them down. She tried to move her hands but felt something  
holding them together. "Liv?" she whispered. So opened her eyes just barely and took in her surroundings. She was sitting in a chair with her hands tied behind  
her back. She looked down at her clothes and she was now wearing a short black dress. She slowly lifted her head and saw Olivia across the table. Her clothes  
had been changed as well. "Liv" She called once more but it was nothing more than a whisper. She heard the door open behind and then listened to the footsteps  
that were getting closer to her. She felt a hand on the back of her neck stroking her hair. She tried hard to stay calm and not to panic. She belt a breath on her ear  
sending shivers down her spin.

"Hello Casey." The voice belonged to that of a male, a voice she knew too well.

"Zack" There was panic in her voice and he could hear it. Her body began to stiffen as her heart began to race. "What do you want?"

He ran his hand through her hair before caressing her chin. She turned her head away from him but he forced her to face him. "Do you have any idea what you did to  
me? I loved you and you threw me away." He grabbed her hair and pulled her head back violently. "Do you have any idea how much it hurt me? It felt like my heart was  
ripped right out of my chest." He let go of her and walked over to the still unconscious Olivia. He brushed Olivia's hair out of her face.

"Let her go, Zack. This is between you and me. Olivia has nothing to do with this. I am the one that hurt you not her." Casey said on the verge of tears. Olivia is her best  
friend. She would never forgive herself if anything happened to Olivia because of something she had done. Tears were now running down her cheek.

He looked at Casey's pleading eyes then back down at Olivia's sleeping form. A man walked up to where he was standing and Zack whispered something into his ear. The  
man nodded then untied Olivia's hands. Casey started to feel a rush of panic as the man picked up Olivia and started walking towards the door with her limp body in his arms.  
Casey looked between Zack and the man with Olivia. "Where is he taking her? What is he going to do? Bring her back!"

Zack walked over to Casey and pulled up a chair to sit down in front of her. The man exited the room with Olivia and another shut the door behind him. Zack sighed and ran  
his hand through his hair. "Don't worry Casey, Joe is taking the dear detective to her room. I just asked him to take her so we can spend some time together. I just want to  
talk to you. Why did you leave me? I thought everything was going well. I thought you were happy then one day, I came home and you were gone. I loved you and you left  
me alone!" Zack got up from his chair and paced around the table. "Why?!" He picked up a glass from the table and threw it against the wall.

"You haven't changed one bit. Its been five years since I left you and you are still the same man you were back then. You're driven by anger and hatred. You didn't love me,  
you were obsessed with me. I was nothing more than a mere object to you, a material possession. I was young and weak both mentally and physically back then. I stayed  
with you because you made me feel powerless, not because I loved you. You made me believe that no one cared about me or help me. You are nothing but a mere child.  
When you don't get what you want, you get angry. When I didn't do what you wanted, you hit me. When I was in the hospital after you pushed me down a flight of stares,  
my life flashed before my eyes. I was wasting my life away when I was with you. I am not afraid of you!" Casey's voice was no longer filled with fear and panic.

His blood was boiling. How dare she speak to him that way. He ran up to her and grabbed her boy the arm lifting her out of the chair. He held her arm so tight causing her to  
scream out in pain. He shoved her back up against the wall and looked at her in the eyes. He put his hand around her neck and began to tight his grip little at a time. He  
leaned in close to her ear. "Do you honestly expect me to believe that you still don't have feelings for me? I can see it in your eyes. You still want me, Casey. I can have any  
woman in the world but I chose you. You should feel lucky."

Casey tried to pull his hand away from her neck, it was becoming hard for her to breathe. The grip he hand around her neck was getting tight with each passing minute. She  
could see the rage in his eyes are he stared her down. Her vision began to fade as her eye lids grew heavy. She no longer had to strength to stand on her own. She felt her  
knees buckle and he lowered her to the ground still holding her neck tight. His breathing became heavier and faster. Her suppressed memories of their relationship started  
surfacing. Then the nightmare she had every night they were together flashed before her eyes. Then her she saw nothing but darkness.

* * *

Olivia slowly regained consciousness moments after she was brought into the room. She opened her eyes to find herself unbound and lying on a bed. She got off the bed  
slowly, using the wall as to support her. She walked over to the window and pulled aside the curtain praying to god that she could identify where she was being held. She  
pulled aside the curtains and all her hope was gone. The window was boarded up with a sheet of plywood. She frantically looked around the bedroom for something to use  
to get the wood off the window. The drawers in the dresser where completely empty. She went back to the window and tried to pull the wood off with her hands but paused  
when she heard footsteps at the door. She pressed herself against the wall next to the door. The door opened and a man stepped in and panicked when he saw that the  
bed was empty. He turned around just in time to see Olivia's fist collide with his face. Olivia hit him again as hard as she could in the temple, knocking him unconscious. She  
searched his pockets for a cell phone but did not find one. She removed his gun from the back of his pants and started her search for Casey.

* * *

_Makes me feel sad for the rest.  
__Nobody does it half as good as you  
__Baby you're the best  
_

Casey opened her eyes and listened carefully to the song that was playing in the background. She knew that song and that voice all the well. It was from one of her favorite  
movies and sung by one of her favorite actresses. Brittany Murphy had one of the most beautiful voices she had ever heard. A voice that only an Angel could have.

___I wasn't lookin' _  
But some how you found me  
_I tried to hide from your love light  
__But like heaven above me  
_

When she first heard the song, she was on the verge of tears. It was sung so beautifully, with so much emotion. Casey closed her eyes and she could see the scene play out in  
her mind. Brittany Murphy lying on the bathroom floor staring at the ceiling singing with pure emotion.

___The spy who loved me_  
Is keepin' all my secrets safe tonight  
_And nobody does it quite the way you do  
__Why'd you have to be so good_

Casey opened her eyes once again and felt a tear slide down her cheek. Her thoughts drifted to Elliot. She didn't know if she would ever have the chance to tell him how she truly  
feels about him. When he enters the room her heart skips a beat. The sweet smell of his cologne always calmed her down. She always felt safe in his presence. She wondered if  
she would ever see his beautiful smile or his eyes sparkle every time he got excited. She knew that Zack was never going to let her go alive. He would rather kill her than let her be  
with anyone else. She only had two options, kill or be killed. Casey sat up and looked straight at the door. She heard the door knob turn and the door was pushed open slowly.  
Casey saw the tip of a gun enter the room first followed by Olivia. "LIV!" She said with pure joy. She jumped out of bed and ran to her side. They both embraced each other in a hug.

"We gotta get out of here." Olivia said quietly. Casey nodded and followed closely behind. They both entered the hallway and headed down the stairs. There was no sign of Zack or  
the other man. Olivia checked the kitchen and living room area. It was all clear. There was no sign of anyone in the house. Casey picked up the phone on the end table and there was  
no dial tone. The line was dead. She looked at Olivia with fear in her eyes.

"Something isn't right. This was too easy." Casey headed for the front door, opened it as quickly as she could and ran out onto the front porch and came to a halt. Olivia stepped out  
behind her and they both took in their surroundings. They were in the middle of a forest.

Olivia saw two silver hard case on sitting on the railing with her and Casey's name on it. She opened the case to find two 9mm handguns with two extra magazines. She opened the  
other case and it contained a 55-caliber rifle with extra rounds. Casey walked over with two backpacks. Olivia opened head up a piece of paper and her face went white. She looked at  
Casey.

"Liv?" Casey asked, not sure if she wanted to know what was written on the paper. She stood next to Olivia and her felt a wave of fear it her when she read the words out loud.  
'_Hunting season has begun.'_


	4. Stay With Me

**Hello friends. Sorry for not updating for a long time. I knew exactly how I want Olivia's and Casey's situation to play out but was having trouble with the police portion of the story. Major writers block. Well I was sitting at my Aunt's store today, bored out of my mind so I grabbed a notebook and started writing. I wrote four pages, back-to-back so eight pages? I don't know how long or short it will be once typed. I wish I brought my external hard drive with me so I could have typed it up. Well, I guess I gotta type it up now. Sigh. Lol Oh well…here it goes… oh and my police friends always say this to me. "Two in the chest, one in the head."**

* * *

"Alright, listen up people." Alexis said to a room full of FBI Agents. She had asked Fin to call off the patrol unit that was supposed to pick up their suspect. She wanted to see the report from CSU on the bullet. Once it was confirmed that the bullet belonged to one of the men associated with Jonathon Koda, she called her superior agent and he got started on getting a warrant. A judge issued an arrest warrant for Jonathon and his team. The SVU team wanted in on the search but it was now in the hands of the FBI. Cragen sent Fin to watch over Elliot and Munch was at the 1-6. "These guys are armed and highly dangerous. You are to proceed with caution. One of these men knows the ware bouts of Assistant District Attorney Casey Novak and SVU Detective Olivia Benson. There is no limitation on the warrant. I want Jonathon Koda captured alive. I want you guys to stay alive. Be careful out there. Let's get these bastards!" All the agents raised their fist in the air and yelled out their usual battle cry before exiting the room.

Alexis walked over to Cragen. This operation had to be pulled off smoothly and quickly. There was no room for error. The lives of two hostages depended on it. "I know you want in on this, Caption. But you gotta trust me."

"I do, I just want my people back safe." Cragen said as they began to walk out of the room. Time was running out. The sun would be setting soon. God only knows where Casey and Olivia are.

* * *

Casey and Olivia ran full speed through the forest. They had pinpointed their location on a map they found in the bag. According to the map, there was a road up ahead. They still had miles to go. Casey kept up with Olivia's speed. They spent time jogging together when they had free time. They both came to a stop at the trunk of a large tree. Casey checked her gun to make sure it was ready to fire. Her father had taught her everything she needed to know about guns. From how to properly clean them to shooting a clean straight shot. She trusted Olivia with her life and Olivia trusted Casey's with hers.

Olivia looked up at the sky and noticed that the sun was beginning to set. They needed to find shelter. "The sun is starting to set. We need to find some place to stay for the night."

Casey looked around but couldn't see anything but trees. "We can hide in the tree for now. It's safer than being on the ground." They would have more than just Zack to worry about when the sun set completely. "Can you climb?"

Olivia looked at Casey and smiled. "You think that just because I grew up in the city it means that I don't know how to climb a tree?" Olivia asked before she started to climb the tree. She stopped and jumped to the ground when she heard a gun shot ring through the air. She heard Casey scream and as she grabbed her arm. Olivia grabbed Casey and pulled her to the other side of the tree. "Casey?"

"It's fine Liv, just a graze." Casey said as she let go of her arm. Casey grabbed the rifle from her back. "Cover Me," Casey said as she loaded the rifle. Casey attached the scope that she had found earlier to the top of the rifle. She positioned herself on the ground and looked in the direction the shot came from moments ago. Olivia was on the other end of the tree. Casey figured he was a bad shot since he missed her and she was standing perfectly still.

Olivia saw movement in the brushes and she aimed her gun and fired one round. She saw him duck and move quickly to get behind a tree. "Casey, he's behind the tree."

Casey viewed growing up with older brothers both a curse and a gift. Right now, she was glad she had older brothers. Especially when they taught her how to shoot a sniper rifle. She took a deep breath to calm herself. She looked to the edge of the tree and saw the man lean forward to try to take another shot at Olivia. She released her breath and pulled the trigger. Successful. She watched his head slam into the tree as the bullet went right through his skull. "Gotcha."

* * *

The raid was successful. A few of her agents were wounded but all would live to return home to their families. Alexis walked through the warehouse observing her agents tagging and bagging evidence. They had found a large storage room full of weapons. From 9mm handguns to .55 caliber rifles. From the looks of it, there had to be at least two hundred guns in the storage room. In another part of the warehouse, they found a large stash of crack cocaine. She walked to the back of the warehouse where the suspects had been apprehended. Three out of the six men on Koda's team was killed in the line of fire. Koda on the other hand was unharmed.

Alexis nodded to the Agents standing behind Koda. "Bring him over here. Load the rest into the van." The two agents placed Koda down in a chair. His hands had been zip tied behind his back. Alexis had just the baby blue scarf around her neck and placed her hands inside her jacket pocket. Her heels clicked loudly on the floor as she walked over to Koda. "You're a very smart man, Mr. Koda. You hire the right people, train them as they trained you when you were apart of S.W.A.T. Expect you slipped up when you hired Edward Delaney. You see, Mr. Koda. Mr. Delaney is wanted in a rape homicide. The gun he used to shoot a New York Detective is the same gun he used to kill Kathleen Johnson. You didn't know that did you? When you set up the team to kidnap Assistant District Attorney Casey Novak and New York Detective Olivia Benson, you briefed them on their roles. Each person had a specific role with specific weapons. However, you didn't think he would be so cocky that he would bring his own personal gun. One that could be traced back to you and your team." Alexis paced back and forth in front of Koda. She grabbed a chair, turned it around so she could rest her arms on the back of the chair. He sat down and folded her arms over the back of the chair. She looked directly into Koda's eyes. She wasn't afraid of him. She has dealt with worse.

"You have men and I have men. But the difference between your men and mine is that mine are loyal to me." This was true. She was their superior agent but her men showed her respect. They respected her as their leader and as one of their own. "My men will always have my back just as I will always have theirs. But your men, Mr. Koda. Your men will turn on you the moment they get something that benefits them."

"What do you want?" Koda asked.

"Your cooperation."

* * *

Casey and Olivia ducked behind a fallen tree as bullets flew past them. Three more men had shown up within the last thirty minutes. Olivia saw one of the men running across the path hand fired two shots at him, hitting him once in the arm and another in the chest. She looked around for Casey. "Casey?"

"Here." She heard Casey call from a few feet to her left. Olivia had to admit, the ADA was a good shot. Olivia heard a snap and turned to her right and saw the second man with a gun pointed straight at her. Luckily, he didn't see Casey as she fired two bullets into his chest. Olivia knelt down beside him and began to check his pockets. She handed his gun to Casey. Olivia patted down his jacket and felt something in his left pocket. She reached in and pulled out a cell phone. She stood up and quickly dialed Elliot's number. She heard it begin to ring then she felt Casey jump on top of her. Olivia heard the sound of a gun shot ring through the air as Casey fell into her arms. She dropped the phone and turned Casey over. She felt blood on her hands causing her to panic. _It's not my blood_. She frantically ran her hands over Casey's body to find the source of the blood. Her hands stopped on Casey's back when she felt a hole. "No, no, no." She said quickly as she tried to apply pressure to the wound. "Casey, Casey, stay with me."

* * *

Fin looked at Elliot with worry written all over his face as Elliot began to yell Casey's and Olivia's name into the phone. He placed the phone onto speaker as Fin began to have the call traced. Fin was talking with John on the phone when what he heard next caused him to sit down. _Bang! "Casey, Casey, stay with me." _Olivia's voice was soft and they could hear her crying. Begging their friend to stay with her. Elliot's face went white. "Fin trace the call now!"

* * *

"I want eyes in the air with inferred camera. We got a call from Detective Munch stating that Detective Stabler received a phone call from an unknown number and what he heard was a gunshot and Detective Benson calling for ADA Novak. I want paramedics on the ground and in the air. If we have to fly her out, we will fly her out. I want snipers ready to take out any hostiles. I want men on the ground with night vision. The sun is almost down. We don't have a lot of time." Alexis jumped into one of the awaiting helicopters. "We have exact coordinates from the GPS on the cellular phone" She could only imagine the pain they were all going through. Listening to their friends fight for survival and they could do nothing about it. Time was running out.

* * *

Olivia held Casey in her right arm as she held her gun out in her right. Casey hadn't moved or made a sound over the last five minutes. Olivia gently placed Casey on the ground as she stood up to face Zack who was slowly walked her way. Her face was wet from her tears. Her clothes was covered in Casey's blood. Olivia stood her ground and kept her gun aimed at Zack's head. "What kind of man shoots a woman in the back?"

"That bullet was meant for you, Olivia." Zack said as she stopped in front of Olivia. He kept his gun aimed on her. "I should have expected Casey to jump in front of you. You see, Casey always cared more about the people around her than herself. That was her major flaw."

It was dark outside now. The sun had set and the only light they had was from the full moon. "You claim that you love her. You don't love her at all. She was right for leaving you. Casey deserves a real man to take care of her, to love her unconditionally. A real man doesn't shoot a woman in the back. You don't have the guts to shoot me. You're nothing but a coward. You pull the trigger, I pull the trigger. Game over for both of us." Olivia kept eye contact with Zack. She was waiting for the right moment, the moment he would take his eyes off her. She heard Casey whisper something and that was when Zack lowered his eyes to look at Casey. Olivia ducked to her right and fired two bullets into his chest then fired one more into his head. She watched as his lifeless body fall to the ground and land with a thud. She got up and kicked the gun out of his hands.

She felt a strong wind blow against her as she heard people screaming their names. She heard the sound of the approaching helicopters. She ignored the calls and focused on Casey. She ran back to the ADA and picked up her body into her arms. She cried into her friend's neck. There were flashlights shinning everywhere behind her. The light from the helicopter was pointed onto her. But she did not move. She held her friend's body and cried. She brushed Casey's hair out of her face. "Casey. Don't you die on me! You can't leave me! I need you to fight. I need you to fight." Olivia toned out her surroundings. People were still yelling her name. Trying to call out to her but she would not respond. It was as if time had slowed down. She rested her forehead against Casey's as she continued to cry. "Casey."


	5. Why, Casey?

**Sorry for the wait. I want this chapter to come out perfect. There is no action in this chapter so my writing style may change a bit. More detail, less dialogue. Just pure emotion. I want to thank those who have reviewed my story. ****Casey is one of my favorite characters. I was upset when they took Diane Neal off the show and replaced her with some new actress who by the way only lasted a few episodes. Then they brought Stephanie March back. Which I am happy but at the same time a bit confused. Can they not decide on who they want to keep as the ADA? Or did they only bring Stephanie back to bring ratings back up? Anyways…on with the story. I cant make any promises on what happens to Casey. Is she alive or is she dead? Let me know what you think. Let's see where my imagination takes me…Enjoy the ride.**

**Oh some exciting news. Well to me it is. I'm following Diane Neal on twitter and she tweeted:**

Caligula...because hey, who's more fun than "little boots"? Well, almost everyone I guess is the answer. /665l6j 12:20 AM Mar 5th via Tweetie

**Then I tweeted:**

DianeNeal rome or greece? about 24 hours ago via UberTwitter in reply to DianeNeal

**Then she tweeted**:

ItsJustV sorry, mostly asleep now. Caligula was an evil roman emperor. the Getty villa houses etruscan, Greek, and roman antiquities. about 24 hours ago via Tweetie in reply to ItsJustV

**It was awesome! Hahaha. Anyways…for those who want to follow her, here is her link. www. twitter. com /dianeneal**

**And her link is www. imdb ****.com /name/nm1011812/**

**And mine is www. twittter .com ****/ItsJustV**

**Remove the spaces.**

**On with the show!**

* * *

Olivia sat in her bathtub thinking about the event that happened just two weeks ago. It had only been two weeks but to her it felt like a lifetime. It just took one day, one moment, to change her life completely. She rests her head on her left hand while her right griped a cold glass of vodka. She brought the glass to her lips and took a sip. Nothing was smoother than ice cold Grey Goose. She felt the water loosing its warmth; she reached over to the faucet and turned the hot water on. She let it run for several minutes before turning it off. She took another sip from her cup and just stared at the tiled wall of her bathroom. She hadn't slept much over the past two weeks. Every time she closed her eyes the scene replayed itself for her to watch. She could still hear the gunshot and Casey's scream. Casey had jumped in front of her to take a bullet that was meant for her. She could taste the tears that were now running down her check. She didn't bother to wipe them away. She cried everyday since their rescue. She honestly didn't think her tear ducts could produce anymore tears.

She brought the cup back to her mouth and finished the contents. She got up and wrapped her body with a towel. Olivia drained the water from the tub and walked over to the bathroom sink. She wiped the condensation from the mirror and looked at her reflection. She looked at the woman looking back at her. She didn't know who that person was anymore. There were dark circles under her eyes. She ran her hand through her wet hair and grabbed her toothbrush. She finished brushing her teeth when stepped out of her bathroom and into her bedroom. She opened her dresser drawer and pulled out a pair of panties and a bra. She threw her towel onto her unmade bed. She put those items on swiftly. She didn't think about what she was doing, it was as if she was on auto pilot. She walked over to her closet and pulled out a pair of shorts and an oversized sweater. She put those on in front of her tall mirror and brushed her hair. She saw a photo frame out of the corner of her eye. On her wardrobe were pictures of all her friends. She walked over to look at them. The first was a picture of her and Elliot at his daughter's birthday party. The next was of her, Fin, and Munch at Maloney's. The third was a picture of the SVU gang; her, Elliot, Cragen, Munch, and Fin. The forth, picture.

Olivia felt her eyes fill with tears once more as she picked up the forth picture. It was a picture of her and Casey. Casey had her arms around Olivia's neck as they bother smiled for the camera. Olivia remembered this night as if it were yesterday. It was Casey's thirty-second birthday. She was so happy. They had surprised her at a nice Italian restaurant in Time Square. She placed the picture back down on her nightstand and got into bed. She sat with her back against her headboard and for the first time in a long time, she held up her hands and she prayed.

* * *

Elliot rested his forehead against the wall as the hot water ran down from his head to the rest of his body. He was discharged from the hospital two weeks ago. His shoulder was healing but that was the least of his worries. His thoughts went back to the day they brought Casey and Olivia into the hospital. Olivia was covered in Casey's blood. She refused to let go of the young ADA. They had to sedate her. Casey's heart and stopped three times on their way to the hospital.

He could listen to everything that was going on but he couldn't do a thing to help. _Bang! "Casey, Casey, stay with me." _Elliot closed his eyes. _"That bullet was meant for you, Olivia."_He remembered the stand off between Olivia and Zack before three gun shots went off and silence. At that moment he held his breath, waiting for any sign that the shots were not fired at Olivia. But right before that moment, he swore he heard Casey whisper his name. He felt relieved when he heard Olivia speaking to Casey once more. _"Casey. Don't you die on me! You can't leave me! I need you to fight. I need you to fight." _But her cries and her pleads for their friend to stay alive made it feel as if someone had ripped his heart right out of his chest.

He turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. He wrapped a towel around his waist and looked into the mirror. He looked at his own reflection and saw the bags and dark circles forming under his eyes. His eyes were red and puffy. He needed to be strong. Not just for himself but for his friends. He was in love with Casey Novak. He loved her smile, her sarcasm, and her witty comments. God there wasn't a single thing he disliked about her. She had a lot of determination. There wasn't something that you couldn't tell her that she couldn't do. Even if you did, she would try to prove you wrong by doing it anyways. Her stubbornness was the one thing he disliked but at the same time, he loved it. She was her own person and was true to herself. Truth was the one thing people lacked. He was brought out of his thoughts when his cell phone rang. He stepped out of the bathroom and walked over to his nightstand. He looked at the number and felt his heart begin to beat faster. "Stabler." He answered quickly. He listened to the voice on the other end quietly as he began to feel a bit of anxiety. "I'll be right there." He threw the phone onto the bed and set a new record time for how fast he could get dressed.

* * *

Elliot ran up to the nurse's station and saw that Olivia had bet him to it. They gave each other a brief hug before he turned to the nurse at the desk. "Dr. Jenkins wanted to speak to both us." The nurse looked up and nodded.

"I'll page him. Why don't you wait outside of the room." She said as she picked up the phone and began to dial. Olivia and Elliot walked over to the room. They sat down and waited quietly for the doctor.

Elliot looked over to Olivia who's eyes were as red and puffy as his. "How are you holding up?"

_Bang! "Casey, Casey, stay with me."_ Olivia took a deep breath. She didn't want to lie to him. She couldn't, after all he is her best friend. "Every time I close my eyes, I can see it happen all over again. I can hear the gunshot; I can feel her blood on my hands." Elliot pulled Olivia's head onto his shoulder and rubbed her back. Elliot didn't tell Olivia that he and Fin heard the entire event unfold over the phone.

"Detectives." Dr. Jenkins said as he stopped in front of Olivia and Elliot. They both got up and stand with the doctor. He opened a the chart in his hands and looked through it. "I'm sorry. There hasn't been any change in her vitals. The good news is that there is still brain activity. She has been in a coma for two weeks now. She lost a lot of blood when she was rushed in here. If Detective Benson was not there applying pressure to her wound, we would have lost her then and there. Although her heart stopped three times during transport, it was not enough to cut off air supply to the brain. Hopefully there will be no brain damage. We will not know until she wakes up. We took her off life support because she is now breathing on her own. This is a good sign."

Dr. Jenkins gave them a hopeful smile and walked away. Elliot and Olivia opened the door to the room and they walked in quietly. Casey was lying on the bed motionless. She was hooked up to several different machines. Ones to monitor her heart, blood pressure and oxygen levels to her brain activity. The only sound in the room was the beeping from the monitor. Olivia sat down next to Casey and held her hand. Olivia moved closer to Casey and brushed a strand of hair from Casey's face. She held Casey's hand in between hers.

Elliot took a deep breath and walked back towards the door. He couldn't handle seeing Casey like this. "I'm going to go get us some coffee." He saw Liv, nod then turned around and left.

"Casey. I don't know if you can hear me, but I need you to wake up. I needed you to fight to stay alive and you did. Now I need you to wake up. You can't leave us Casey. You're my best friend, my sister. I need you. Elliot needs you. He is here every night at your side. He loves you, Casey. He is in love with you. He doesn't know that I hear it but he whispers it to you every night he is here." Olivia felt the tears forming in her eyes once more. "Casey, you're so stubborn at times. I want to hit you for jumping in front of that bullet. Why, Casey?" Olivia sat back in chair and for the first time in a long time, she fell asleep.


	6. I Never Left

**Sorry for making you all believe that Casey was dead. J I just wanted to make that an emotional chapter. If you knew your friend was in a coma and didn't have the chance of waking up, how would you feel? The idea for this chapter is something I experience myself. Hope you like it. Please, share your thoughts. **

**P.S. twitter. com /dianeneal Oh and catch her on NCIS March 16th. Check your local listing for show time. :) Preview is funny. lol**

* * *

The weather outside was just perfect. It was warm but there was a little breeze of cool air. Casey hated winter and summer but she loved the fall. She loved the color the leaves turned just before they would begin to fall to the ground. The colors reminded her of the colors you would when you caught a sunset at the right time. It was a beautiful swirl of yellows, oranges, and reds. Casey sat on a park bench wearing a soft white cashmere sweater with a light pink scarf wrapped around her neck. The sun was beginning to set and the sky was a beautiful sea of purple, orange, yellow, and red. The lake reflected the colors of the sky and to her, it was beautiful. Casey felt a pair of arms wrap around her shoulders but she wasn't scared. She closed her eyes and the sent soothed her. Gardenias. "Hello, Casey." A woman's voice whispered into her ear. It was soft and friendly. The woman unwrapped her arms from around Casey's shoulder and took a seat next to Casey.

Casey turned and looked at the young woman, welcoming her with a big smile. She knew the woman well. Jade Chan, Casey's best friend. Casey smiled at the memory of the first day they met. It was the first day in kinder-garden. Casey had just started at the school and didn't know anyone. Jade had befriended her and the two became inseparable. "Am I dead?" Casey asked her friend. She fought back tears but knew they would eventually fall.

Jade smiled and took Casey's hand in her right and wiped the tears from Casey's face with her left. "No."

"I don't understand. " Casey asked refusing to let go of Jade's hand.

"We all have guardian angels, Casey. Weather you believe in them or not, they are always there. To watch over us, to guide us, to keep us safe. I never left you, Casey. I've been with you every step of the way." Jade explained to Casey. She turned and looked at the lake. "You cant blame yourself for the things that had happened." Casey was about to object but Jade interrupted her. "Don't lie to me, Casey. You couldn't save me, no one could. Stop blaming yourself."

The memory of that day flashed through Casey's mind.

_"You want something to drink?" Jade said as she got up from the sofa._

_"hhmmmm what are you making?" Casey asked as she was looking for something to watch on tv. They had just finished studying for an up coming test in their criminal law class. Jade didn't reply and Casey started to get worried. Jade had been suffering from peptic ulcers for almost a year now. She had it all under control up until yesterday. She had been having abdominal pains but refused to go see a doctor. "Jade?" Casey got up and practically ran into the kitchen. She saw had hunched over the kitchen counter with her left arm wrapped around her stomach. Casey put her hand on Jade's forehead. "Jade, you have a fever. I'm taking you to the hospital." _

_Casey was about to turn around when Jade grabbed her arm. "Case, something's wrong." Jade said before she collapsed into Casey's arms._

_"I'm so sorry. We couldn't stop her internal bleeding." The Dr. continued to speak but Casey heard nothing. Her best friend was gone. A few hours ago they were both sitting in their living room watching tv and now, now she was gone. _

"If I listened to my instinct and forced you to go see a doctor then maybe…" Casey couldn't finish the sentence.

Jade pulled her into a hug and held onto her tightly. "Casey, it was my time." Jade broke the hug and positioned Casey so she could look into her eyes. "Your time is no where near. You have so much more to do in your life. You have people who love you waiting at your beside, day and night. You have someone who is in love with you who refuses to let you go."

"Where am I?" Casey asked as she wiped her tears and looked around.

Jade got up from the bench and pulled Casey up with her. She looped her arm around Casey's and they began to walk down the path along the lake. "This, Casey" She waved her free hand in front of them. There wasn't a single person in sight. "Is your doing. The park, trees, the lake. This is your creation."

"Why am I here?" Casey asked as they continued to walk.

Jade came to a sudden stop and looked at Casey. "I should be asking you that question."

"I don't…" Casey stopped talking when the memory came flooding back into her mind. She remembered being in the forest with Olivia, Zack, gun. Then it hit her, she remembered seeing Zack step out from behind a tree with his gun pointing at Olivia's back. Then before she could think she was in front of Olivia when she felt the bullet enter her back.

"You remember?" Jade asked.

Casey nodded. She remembered when she was shot but she remembered nothing else after that. "I remember the forest. I remember Olivia, but then after that, nothing."

"This is your dream, Casey. You are in a coma, Casey and to be honest with you, if you don't wake up soon you might not wake up at all. My one question for you is why haven't you." Jade crossed her arms and took a step back so she could get a full view of Casey.

Casey took a deep breath and ran her hand through her hair. She turned to face the lake. She always went to the lake when she was stressed. She found the sound of the waves calming. She knew the answer to Jade's question. This place is peaceful. No pressures, no worries. "It's peaceful here. There is nothing to worry about. There are no children being abused, no rapist out running a muck, people aren't dieing. There are no failures here, no worries. Its just me."

"You're right. Its just you. You are the only person here, Casey. The world isn't perfect, in fact it will never be perfect. Kids will continued to be abused, rapist will continue to rape and the victims will all need someone to be their voice. Their advocate, their savior. The police investigate the crime and make the arrest but it all comes down to you. You make the victims feel safe again knowing that the person who harmed them will never be able to do it again. Yes, there are plenty of other lawyers out there but there is only one of you." Jade wanted Casey to open up. She has years of bottled up emotions and she wanted her to let it all out.

Casey kept her eyes positioned on the horizon. She could see Jade watching her out of the corner of her eye. She felt her eyes slowly begin to fill with tears. "I've failed everyone I care about. I failed you, Olivia, the victims who's rapist were let free because I couldn't win the case, and Charlie." Casey let the tears fall from her eyes. "You died. I could have helped you. I could have kept you from dieing. If I had just pushed you to go see a doctor, if I didn't take no for an answer you would still be alive. Olivia, Zack was going to hurt her because of me. It was my fault she was kidnapped, it was my fault that we were running for our lives in the forest. He pointed the gun at her and he fired. She wasn't even looking. She didn't even see him. If I didn't see him, she would be dead. We were being hunted like animals. Running through the forest, fighting for our lives. If I hadn't come into your live, none of this would have happened. If I didn't abandon Charlie, he would still be alive. He needed me to help him and I left him."

Jade pulled Casey into a hug and rubbed her back. Casey was crying hysterically. Casey's knees buckled but she was lowered to the ground slowly but Jade. Jade let her friend cry and just held onto her tightly. She had been watching over Casey and she had seen the pain and sadness she had gone through. "Its okay. Just breath." Jade stroked Casey's hair and waited for her friend to calm down. "Casey, we were all put on this earth for a reason. Each one of us has an individual purpose. Yes, Charlie and I died before our time but that was what god intended for us. Charlie showed you love. He showed you that beyond his sickness, he was still capable of feeling love. And you, you showed him that no matter who he was or how he was, you still loved him. Olivia is a strong, protective, a caring person and she sees those traits in you as well. She trusts you, she believes in you. You are her best friend. She hasn't left your side, Casey." Jade pulled away from Casey and looked into her eyes. She wiped away a tear and gave Casey a smile. "Neither has he."

Casey's thoughts drifted to the night of her kidnapping. "Elliot." She hadn't forgotten about him. She remembered the gun fire but nothing more. So many questions ran through her head. Was he okay? Did he get shot? Then she began to panic. But she heard something off in the distant. "Do you hear that?"

"Are you ready?" Jade said as she pulled Casey into one final hug. She heard Casey begin to cry once more.

"You cant leave me again." Casey whispered.

Jade looked at Casey and placed a kiss on her check. "I never left."

* * *

**I had a dream once where I was speaking to a man. He thanked me for being a good friend to his wife. He asked me to please let her know that he never left her. When I woke up, a sent of freshly lit cigarette was concentrated right next to my face. Then the smell was gone. I spoke to my friend the next morning, asked her if her husband smoked. She stated that when he was alive, he smoked all the time. I gave her his message and she cried, not because she was said. But because she was happy knowing that her husband was her guardian angel. **


	7. I Would Take A Bullet For You Any Day

**LOCISVU- Thank you for reviewing every time, I really appreciate it. This is for you. **

**I haven't stopped writing this story because I can see from the story traffic that a lot of you are still reading this story. I have my loyal readers out there and I really appreciate it. I really really would appreciate your reviews. Just please, mind your manners. You can provide constructive criticism without the need to be rude. Thank you. This is going to be a long chapter.**

**Oh….When did Dr. Huang become gay???**

* * *

Elliot sat in the chair on the other side of Casey's bed watching Olivia sleep in the recliner. He had placed a blanket over her and noticed that she held on tightly to Casey's right hand. The two had become inseparable over the past few years. They were like sisters. They could finish each other's thoughts, knew what each other was feeling without using words. Elliot moved his chair closer to Casey's bed and ran his hand over her head. She looked so peaceful, so innocent. He picked up her left hand and placed a kiss on the back of her hand. "Casey, I know you're still with us. You are too damn stubborn to do anything you didn't want to do and I know that you don't want to die. You have a family here, Casey. You, Olivia, me, Cragen, Fin and Munch, we're your family. We all need you to pull through. I need you to pull through. I watched you grow into the most beautiful, intelligent, confident woman you are today. You're kind and caring. You have to admit counselor, sometimes your witty comments are a little over the top but I find them amusing. Can you feel Olivia's hand? She's finally asleep. We love you, Casey.' Elliot stood up and bent down so he could whisper into Casey's ear. "I love you, Casey Novak."

Elliot heard a soft knock on the door before it opened slowly. Munch poked his head in and saw Olivia asleep by Casey's bedside. Munch nodded at Elliot before closing the door behind him. Elliot got up from his chair and stepped outside of Casey's room to find Munch, Alexis and two agents talking down the hall. Alexis looked up and saw Elliot walking towards them. She said something to the two agents and they walked over to the entrance of Casey's room. She had sent them there to protect Casey.

"How is she doing?' Munch asked as when joined them.

Elliot ran his hand through his hair. He honestly didn't know what to say. "She's still in a coma. The doctors don't know when she is going to wake up."

Alexis crossed her arms. "Is she's breathing on her own?"

Elliot nodded. "Yeah."

"That's a good sign." Alexis said softly. "Jonathon and his gang are under protective custody in federal prison. We want to make sure they survive through their trial."

"What's with the armed guards?" Elliot asked. He knew it was for Casey's and Olivia's protection.

"U.S. Marshals, just until Casey recovers. I don't want to take any chances." Alexis explained to Elliot. She really didn't want to take any chances that Jonathon was going to try and tie up some loose ends. Even though Casey and Olivia didn't see him, they were still his victims. "The Assistant U.S. Attorney went over Olivia's statement and ruled it as justifiable homicide."

Munch saw the worry in Elliot's eyes. His eyes were puffy and red. "Elliot, Casey will pull through. She's strong."

All Elliot could do was nod.

* * *

"Casey."

She heard a whisper in her ear.

"Casey, open your eyes."

She heard the voice once more. Her eyes lids felt like they were glued shut. She tried to open them but couldn't.

"Casey, relax. Take a deep breath and open your eyes."

Casey took a deep breath and smelled the sweet smell of gardenias.

"You can do it."

Casey slowly opened her eyes, blinking several times, trying to focus her vision. She focused on the figure standing at the end of her bed. Her vision cleared and immediately recognized the woman standing at the end of her bed.

"Jade." Casey whispered.

"Welcome back, Casey." Jade said with a smile and she slowly faded away.

Casey felt a tear fall down her check as the vision of her friend began to fade. The smell of gardenias still lingered in the room. She tried to move her hand but felt something holding it down. She turned her head and saw Olivia sleeping next to her bed. Casey felt her eyes begin to close but heard someone call her name. She opened her eyes and saw Olivia smiling back at her. "You're awake." Olivia said with a smile. Olivia placed her hand on Casey's check.

Casey smiled. "Liv, do you smell that? Gardenias."

Olivia stood up and couldn't help but laugh. She was crying, they weren't sad tears, they were happy tears. Casey was awake. She nodded in response to Casey's question. She smelled it too but didn't know the source. There were no flowers in the room but that was the least of her worries. Her best friend who had just woken up from a coma and she was going to live.

* * *

Olivia turned off the stove causing the loud sound from the kettle to disappear. She poured the hot water into the two mugs that she had placed on the counter. Sheput the kettle back down and grabbed a jar of honey from the pantry. Two tablespoons of honey in one cup and one tablespoon in the other. She picked up both cups and slowly carried them to the living room. She looked down at the sleeping form on the sofa and smiled. A month had passed since Casey's release from the hospital. Her gun shot wound had healed but the doctors still wanted her to get lots of rest. They said she would be able to return to work next month. Casey was on several medications. Some for pain and some to help her sleep. There were some nights when Casey slept peacefully and others she would wave up terrified. Although Olivia didn't want to admit it, she too had nightmares at times. However, Olivia's dream was the same every night, it was always of Casey dieing in her arms. Olivia placed Casey's cup down on the coffee table and sat down at the end of Casey's feet with her. Casey looked so peaceful when she was asleep, she didn't want to wake her.

_Casey stood at her apartment window looking at the night sky. The moon was full and beautiful. Olivia and Elliot had been a bi distant since her release from the hospital. She didn't quiet understand why. Although Elliot and Olivia spent almost every night at her apartment, they each kept their distance. Elliot kept his distance from Olivia as well. She frowned and rubbed her neck, _

_"What's the matter, Casey?"_

_Casey turned around to see Jade sitting on her sofa. Casey walked over to Jade and took a seat next to her. "Olivia and Elliot have been so distant since I was released."_

_"Did you ask them why?" Jade asked. She already knew the answer but wanted Casey to figure it out on her own._

_"No." Casey said with a sigh. It wasn't that she didn't want to know what was bothering her friends, she was just afraid of their answers._

_"I'm sure you already know the answer." Jade said softly._

_"Jade, can I ask you something?" Casey asked as she turned to face Jade on the sofa. Jade nodded and Casey took at as her queue. "Why are you always in my dreams when something is wrong?"_

_Jade was taken back by the question. "Do you not want me here?"_

_Casey realized how her question sounded and immediately apologized. "No, I'm sorry. It's just, am I really talking to you or is this just a dream?"_

_Jade ran her hand through her hair and took a deep breath. "Your subconscious is trying to solve the issues you are facing in your life, so it brought me forward seeing that I am someone you are more than likely willing to open up to." _

_Casey smiled at her friend's slight humor. "Nice answer Dr. Chan."_

_Jade smiled. "Now tell me, why you think Elliot and Olivia are being so distant with you."_

_Casey took a deep breath and folded her feet underneath her. She already knew that answer to Jade's question about Olivia but not to the one about Elliot. "I almost died in Olivia's arms. Sometimes when she spends the night, I hear her crying in her sleep. She never wants to talk about when I ask her." Casey bit her lip and that when it hit her. "Oh my God, Olivia's nightmares are of me."_

_Jade nodded. "And in her dreams…" _

_"…I die." Casey finished the sentence for her. She felt her eyes begin to water. "And Elliot?"_

_Jade looked at Casey and sighed. "Its not my place to tell you why. Ask him tonight."_

_"I smell tea." Casey said with a smile. _

_"Goodbye, Casey." _

Olivia felt Casey stir next to her and looked down to see the ADA's eyes settling on her. "Good evening. You sleep okay?"

Casey took a deep breath and smiled at the sweet sent of gardenias and lingered around her. Casey slowly sat up and rest her back against the armrest of the sofa. She winced at a small jolt of pain rushed down her back. She saw the concerned look at Olivia's face as she was going to hand her her cup of tea. "I'm okay." She took to the cup from Olivia and took a slow sip. "Thank you."

"Casey, can I ask you something?" Casey nodded. "Whenever you sleep peacefully, you always wake up and smile." Olivia smirked. "May I ask what has you smiling, counselor?"

Casey took a deep breath and looked down at her cup of tea that she was holding in her hands. She never told anyone about her past. Olivia was her best friend yet she never confided in her about Jade. "When I was in law school, I lost my best friend. Her name was Jade. She had been sick for a while. She um suffered from peptic ulcers in her stomach." Casey paused. She felt Olivia's hand on her and she felt tears begin to stream down her cheek. "One night after we got done studying, she past out in my arms. The doctors said that they couldn't stop the bleeding." Casey felt the cup she was holding lift from her hand. She looked up in time to see Olivia pulling her into a hug. She held her as she cried.

Olivia felt tears in her own eyes. Casey had opened up to her about her ex-fiancé's death but she could see that this hurt her more. She ran her hand over Casey's head and tried to sooth Casey's cries. Several minutes past and Casey's cries stopped. Casey pulled away from Olivia. She wiped her tears from her cheek. "Do you believe in guardian angels?"

Olivia tilted her head to the side and kept her eyes focused on Casey. She thought about it for a moment. She never really asked herself that question. Although growing up with a drunk mother, her child hood friend's mother always told her that her guardian angel was always watching over her. "Yes."

Casey sighed in relief. "When I was in a coma, Jade was in my dream state with me. We talked, she told me she never left me and that she is my guardian angel. When I don't have nightmares about Zack and what he could have done to you, I see her and we just talk." Casey wiped her tear stained cheek. "When she was alive, her favorite flower was gardenias. I always smell them after I dream of her. When I woke up at the hospital, I smelled gardenias as I saw her figure fade from the room. She was there, as real as you and I" She looked at Olivia. "Do you thin I'm crazy?"

Olivia shock her head. She honestly didn't think Casey was crazy. After all, she did smell gardenias in the room just after Casey woke up. "No honey. I don't think you're crazy."

"Olivia, tell me why you cry in your sleep." Casey said softly. She caught Olivia by surprise. Olivia didn't say anything for several minutes. "Liv?"

"When you got shot, Zack told me that the bullet was meant for me. Not you. Casey, if I had been paying attention, if I didn't let my guard down, I would have seen him coming. I could have stopped him from shooting." Olivia felt her own tears now streaming down from her cheek. "When held you in my arms, and you wouldn't wake up. I feared you had died. That you died in my arms. And when I go to sleep at night, that scene replays in my mind over and over again except that in my dream, you die."

Casey and Olivia both hugged each other. They cried together. They both blamed themselves for what happened but they soon came to realize that they were not the ones to be blamed, Zack was. He was the one that sent men to hunt them, he was the one who kidnapped them and tried to hill them. Casey pulled away from Olivia and looked her straight in the eye. "Liv, you're my best friend, my sister, my family. I would take a bullet for you any day."

* * *

**I made a fan page for Diane Neal on facebook for anyone who would like to become a fan, the link is in my profile. :) I will keep it up to date.**I


	8. I'm In Love With You, Casey Novak

**LOCISVU- haha yes Elliot does love her too. Thank you for reviewing every time.:) Wasn't she awesome on NCIS? Haha**

**Future NYPD- Shocker about Huang! Haha I was like "what?" Haha**

**Off topic-I made a fan page for Diane Neal on Facebook. She said it's awesome! Haha :) the link is in my profile. If you do a search, the one I made has the picture her from the Emmy's(she looked so pretty) and it says "Diane Neal Fan Page" on the picture. Become a fan! For Diane Neal. :)**

**Back to the topic- This will be Alexis' last appearance in the story. I didn't want to make her a useless character. This chapter is mainly focused on Elliot and his point of view of the events that happened to Olivia and Casey in the woods.**

**I'm unhappy with the way they ended Casey's character. They completely changed her personality in season 9. They made her cold, distant, and bitchy. The way they wrote her off the show was horrible. It was basically a "fuck Casey Novak, she's not coming back". Then with the way they wrote Alex off the show(again) was a "yay! I'm getting promoted! But I will be back". Dumb and unfair! Lol**

**On with the show! Imagine, I'm writing this chapter on my blackberry in an email. :)**

* * *

Elliot sat quietly on the leather sofa. Olivia didn't return to work just yet. She was still on leave and having regular weekly sessions with Huang. Huang also suggested that Casey have sessions with him also but she refused. Casey didn't just open up for anyone. Until this day, Olivia had been the only person she ever opened up to about Charlie. Elliot had been spending most of his nights at Casey's. He and Olivia would switch off. That was the plan, but they found themselves at Casey's almost every night. The young ADA was still recovering from the gunshot wound in her back. Elliot's shoulder had healed, but it wasn't his physical state people were worried about. Elliot leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees. He looked down at his hands and just sighed. He had been waiting in Huang's office for 10 minutes now. He looked up when he heard the door open, but instead of seeing Huang walk through the door, he saw Alexis. She smiled at him and shut the door behind her. "Where's Huang?"

Alexis took a seat across from Elliot and crossed her legs. She was very young for someone in her position. Elliot could tell by her eyes that she had seen more than her share of crimes. "He asked me to speak with you."

Elliot was now frustrated. He was told to come in for a psyc eval. He took a deep breath, got up from his seat, and headed to the door. "Tell Huang to give me a call when he is free."

"You're Marine, right?" Alexis said stopping Elliot dead in his tracks. He already had his hand on the doorknob and was about to open it. He turned and looked at her. "I was in the armed forces too."

Elliot squinted his eyes and rested his back against the door. "Yeah? What army?" Marines, didn't like the army. The Army always causes a mess for the Marines to clean up.  
"No. You won't believe me when I tell you." Alexis said with a laugh. She motioned for Elliot to reclaim his seat and he did so.

Elliot leaned forward in his seat and looked at Alexis. She wasn't Army so what was she. "Navy?"

She shook her head and smiled. "Close. Navy Seal."

Elliot was taken back. "You're a Seal?" He was impressed. Usually Seals were men.

"Yeah, I saw "G.I. Jane" and said why not?" She said with a laugh. "I've seen more than my share, Elliot. I may be young but the stories I could tell you would make me pretty old. What did you hear that day when you received the call from Detective Benson?"

Elliot sat back up and crossed his arms. "I heard a gun shot then Olivia begging for Casey to stay alive." He cleared his throat.

Alexis didn't say anything. She just said there. "We've been in combat before, Elliot. We've heard our team mates in the line of fire but what makes this different?"

"Olivia's my partner and Casey, she's like family." Elliot simply stated.

"Olivia is your best friend and Casey is someone you would like to be involved with." Alexis corrected him. She didn't need someone to tell her how he really felt about Casey. He never left her side when she was in the hospital. "Have you told her?"

"Told her what?" Elliot asked.

"That you love her." Alexis said softly.

Elliot's minded drifted back to the nights when Casey was in the hospital. He told her every day but he hasn't had the courage to say it to Casey since she woke up. "When she was in the hospital."

What else did you hear on the phone, Elliot?" Alexis could see the frustration growing in Elliot's eyes. He clenched his jaw and formed a fist. She had seen the same features in her men's faces when they were angry. "Elliot, Huang asked me to speak with you because he thought you would be more comfortable speaking to someone who has something in common with you."

Elliot got out of his seat and walked towards the window. He looked out into the busy streets of New York City. Cars were bumper to bumper during this time. From this high up in the federal building, the people walking the streets just looked like a sea of black coats. Elliot knew Alexis was right, it was easier to talk to someone you knew you had something in common with. Knowing she was in the armed forces caused an instant connection. Still it was hard for Elliot to open up about his private life. "Zack, told Olivia that the bullet Casey took was meant for her not Casey. He kidnapped them, then let them go in the middle of the forest and sent men to hunt them like animals." Elliot was getting angry. His breathing got heavy and his eyes narrowed. If Alexis were to compare him to an animal, at this moment she would call him a bull. A bull that was ready to charge at the mediator who was waving his red cape in front of him. "When Olivia shot Zack, I swore I heard Casey whisper something."

Alexis remained seated. "What did you hear her say?"

Elliot turns to face her. "My name."

"When Olivia was pleading for Casey to fight, you thought.." Alexis didn't get to finish her question.

"That I was goings loose her." Elliot finished it for her. "I thought that I was never going to get the chance to tell her that I love her. When I see her walk into a room, it's like everything is in slow motion. The way she carries herself with so much confident and poise. She shows no fear when she is sitting across the table from a perp and his lawyer. The way she takes charge in the courtroom. Her beautiful smile lights up the room."

"From what I hear about Alex, she and Casey sound very similar to each other." Alexis said. She had met Alex on occasions. She knew the difference between Casey and Alex.

"Casey has a better connection with the victims. Casey makes the victims feel like she is their friend, someone they could trust. Alex kept her distance. After one of our victim committed suicide, Alex blamed herself and avoided getting close to the victims after that. The same thing happened to Casey, but it only made her stronger." Elliot explained. He smiled at the memory of Casey's face when the three of them walked into the restaurant to arrest Nicky and his friend for Jason's murder.

Alexis looked at her watch. "Feeling better?"

Elliot thought about it for a moment. He did feel better now that he got it off his chest. "Yeah. Thank you."

Elliot sat down on the sofa opposite of Alexis. " So Navy Seal, huh?" He asked flashing his signature smile.

Alexis laughed. "Why is that so hard to believe? I bet I can beat you at your PT test and go another round before you finish just to through it in your face."

"Why the Seals?" Elliot was curious.

"My older brother joined the Marines, just like you. He got into special ops. He would tell me stories about all then things he got to do. Defending his country, saving lives. I originally wanted to become a lawyer, a prosecutor to be specific. However, I'm one of those girls who seek a thrill. To do show that a woman could do man's job. I wanted to see the look on my family's face when I became a Navy Seal. To think how proud my father is to tell people that his son is a Marine and his daughter is a Navy Seal." Alexis smiled at the memory of her father's smile when bragging to his friends. "I served my country for 6 years and I'm proud of it."

"I'll take you up on that test one day." Elliot said.

Alexis looked at her watch once more. "It was nice meeting you, Elliot." Elliot looked a bit confused. "I'm resigning from my position with the FBI. Its time for me to me on and my skills as a Seal to good use."

"C.I.A?" Elliot asked as they both stood up.

Alexis shook his hand and laughed. She walked towards the door but bore she opened it she turned to face Elliot. She wasn't going to answer his question but he already knew that. She couldn't even if she wanted to. "Tell her Elliot."

With that, Alexis opened the door to reveal Casey dressed in. Pair of black slacks, a black sweater vest over a baby blue button down. Her hair lay freely over her shoulders. He felt his heart skip a beat as she made eye contact with him. She looked at Alexis. "No need to thank me, Miss. Novak." Alexis said before she stepped out of the room and shut the door behind her.

Casey looked at Elliot, who was now standing very still. "Elliot, what's going on?"

Elliot took a deep breath. It was now or never. "I'm in love with you, Casey Novak."

* * *

**Sorry this is short. I have to remember that anything under 3 pages in Microsoft Word will be short on here. Well...yay! He told her! Now what will her reaction be? Until next time!**


	9. Do you love Elliot?

**JenniferTVgirl- Thank you for the review! You become a fan of Diane Neal on face bookie?**

**Future NYPD- You NYPD yet? Haha Am I that bad with cliffhangers? If so, sorry! How about you? Lol**

**LOCISVU- "YOWZA!" Good or bad?**

**Off Topic-Don't forget to become a fan of Diane Neal on face book. Link is in my page! If you do a face book search, the fan page I made had a picture of her from the Emmy's and it says "Diane Neal Fan Page" on it. With all the hits I get on my story, ya'll should become a fan of her fan page! Lol Check out what she had to say when I asked her about "Ridicule". Please help promote the page! Thanks!**

**Back To Topic- Please forgive me if I get any Catholic reference wrong in this chapter. I was born and raised Christian but I believe that everyone of us has an angel watching over us.**

**On with the show!**

**P.S. Are my chapters short? I have a wide screen monitor so they look short to me. Lol!**

**On with the show for reals now!**

* * *

Elliot said the three words that every woman would want to hear. Not only did he say the three words but he used the word 'in' stating that he just didn't love her, he is in love with her. Not a brother sister or best friend kind of love but a 'I want to spend my life with you' love. His heart began to beat faster, his palms began to sweat, and he began to move nervously. He hadn't felt like this before. Not even when he asked Kathy to marry him. The minutes of silence felt like hours.

Casey didn't say anything, she just stood there in staring at Elliot. She didn't know what to say or how to react. She had feelings for the detective but was he just saying that he loved her because she almost died? She felt her eyes fill with tears. His voice played back in her head, I'm in love with you Casey Novak. He said 'in love with you', not 'I love you'. She tried to respond to what he said but she didn't know what to say. She shock her head and let the tears fall from her eyes. She turned back to the door but before she could turn the doorknob she felt his strong arms around her waist. He turned her around and kissed her passionately. She returned the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck. They broke apart but he kept one hand around her waist, keeping her close and used the other to wipe away her tears.

At that moment, all the feelings she had for him came flooding to the surface. He always made her heart jump when he smiled at her. She brought her hand to his face and stroked his check. Elliot placed his forehead against hers and looked into her beautiful bright blue-green eyes. She had the most beautiful eyes that he has ever seen. She looked into his beautiful blue eyes and saw them fill with tears then suddenly she didn't see Elliot's face anymore. It was replaced by another man. Elliot felt her body tense up and she began to pull away. She pushed against his chest and shook her head. He released her. "Casey?

Casey backed up towards the door as she began to cry once more. "I'm sorry, I can't do this."

* * *

Casey wasn't sure how long she had been walking. When she left the Federal Building she just walked. She wasn't going anywhere in particular. She stopped and examined her surroundings. She recognized the cathedral and knew exactly where she was. She was relieved that she wasn't lost. Elliot had called her cell several times during her walk but she didn't answer. Then she started receiving calls from Olivia. After the 4th time, she answered and only to hear a panicked voice on the other end. She assured Olivia that she was fine and that she would be home shortly.

Casey walked up the steps and opened the large wooden door. She stepped into the church that she hadn't been at in years.

"Casey Novak?"

Casey looked in the direction of the voice and saw Father Johnson standing just a few feet from her. She walked over to him. "Father Johnson."

"My Casey, you've grown up so much." He said with a smile. "Are you still working for the District Attorney's office."

Casey picked was just finishing lighting up a candle before she turned to look at Father Johnson. "Yes. Father can I talk to you about something?"

Father Johnson nodded and began to walk towards the front of the church with Casey beside him. "What's troubling you, Casey?"

Casey took a deep breath. "Father, do you remember my best friend, Jade?"

Father Johnson remembered Jade. Her and Casey's family attended church together every Sunday. They had her funeral at this very church. "Her family still comes for mass every Sunday."

"I see her in my dreams, Father. When I was in a coma, she was there with me. She told me she is my guardian angel. When ever I dream of her, I wake up to her sent." Casey said quietly.

Father Johnson stopped walking and turned to look at Casey. "Do you believe in guardian angels?"

Casey took a moment to think before answering. "If she truly is my guardian angel, Father. Then why did she let me get shot in the forest?"

"Because guardians angels have no control over your will power."

Casey looked in the direction of the voice that she knew well and saw Jade dressed in all white. White slacks, white sweater, and a white blacker jacket. "Father..."

Father Johnson looked at Casey. "She comes here from time to time, when she isn't watching over you. When she first appeared to me, I did not believe it myself. But if she were evil, the gargoyles wouldn't have let her near the church. Angels spend their time in both heaven and on earth. I'll leave you two to talk."

Father Johnson left Jade and Casey alone at the front of the church. Neither of them moved from their position. Casey felt tear sliding down her cheek. She placed one hand on the back of the bench to steady herself when she felt an arm on her shoulder. She looked up to see Jade now standing in front of her. Touching her as if she were alive again. She didn't think twice about it. She just let her best friend pull her into a tight hug as she just let her remaining tears fall from her face.

After what seemed like hours, Casey's cries subsided. She pulled way from Jade and looked at her. Her light brown eyes glistened in the soft lighting of the church. "Tell me, did I fall asleep somewhere?"

Jade smiled. "No honey, I'm really here."

"You're really an angel? My dreams weren't just dreams?" Casey asked as she wiped her tear stained cheeks.

"Yeah. I have wings and all." Jade said. She pulled Casey towards the bench and they both sat down. "You doubt me?"

"No." Casey objected.

"Casey, that bullet was meant for Olivia. But out of shear will power and your protectiveness over the people you care for, you jumped in front of her when you saw Zack pointing the gun at her. That is something I have no control over." Jade felt a change in Casey's emotion. "Why did you run from Elliot?"

Casey turned to her in shock. "I want to be with him. But I'm afraid." Casey said in a low voice.

Jade squinted her eyes and stood up. She rested her back against the bench in the row in font of them and turned to face Casey. "You're still afraid that he will get hurt because of you?

"Yes." Casey replied softly

Jade stepped closer to Casey and cupped her face with her hands. She forced Casey to look at her then in a soft but stern voice she asked, "Do you love him, Casey?"

* * *

**Im sorry. My intention for this chapter was to be long but after writing 3 pages in a matter of hours, i took a break and had major writer's block. This chapter didnt go how i wanted. I will fix things up in the next chapter. :)**

**Dont forget to becomes a Diane Neal fan on face book. Remove the spaces. www. facebook. com/pages/Diane-Neal/102875699747583?v=app_2373072738&ref=ts#!/pages/Diane-Neal/102875699747583?ref=ts**

**If you are already a fan, please help promote it also. THANK YOU!**


	10. Run To Me

**This is going to be a short chapter. Mainly just getting to the point so be happy!**

**This is the Taylor Swift cover of "Run" By George Strait. She performed it at his tribute concert last year. I love it. Check it out. Its beautiful. Really. Youtube it.**

* * *

Elliot sat at his kitchen table staring at his dinner plate. The main course was chicken alfredo with a glass of Kendall Jackson Cabernet Sauvignon. He ate half his meal slowly. However, his glass of wine remained untouched. Cabernet Sauvignon is Casey's favorite. He bought the bottle in preparation to surprise her with dinner but that chance never came up. Elliot moved the food around on his plate with his fork. He took a deep breath and got up from the table. He grabbed the TV remote from the coffee table and turned up the volume. He was watching the George Strait tribute on CBS.

"_I never been on a big stage before or sung in an arena. So I asked him if he had any advice about performing in the round. He said 'Yes I do'. I sensed that I needed to ask a follow up question so I said 'how do you do that?' " _

_So this is Taylor Swift._ Elliot thought to himself as he sat down on the sofa. He remembered his daughters talking about Taylor just about every second of everyday. One even asked for a guitar for Christmas.

"_He said "do it for about 25 years and it'll feel real natural'. Tonight I'm singing my absolute favorite George Strait song. Its called Run"_

Elliot reached for his phone and checked for any miss calls. None.

"_If there's a plane or a bus leaving Dallas_

_I hope you're on it.  
If there's a train moving fast down the tracks_

_I hope you caught it."_

Elliot knew the song well. It was Casey's favorite song. He never pegged her as a country fan but the girl loved her country music. _Wow, this girl is what? 19? She's good, beautiful version._ Elliot thought to himself once more. It was actually a much softer version of the George Strait it. His thoughts drifted back to Casey. He remembered the one time when the song came on the radio in the car and Casey started unconsciously singing it. Who knew she could sing? He surely didn't._  
_

"_'Cause I swear out there ain't where _

_You outta be  
So catch a ride or catch a cab  
Don't you know that I miss you bad  
But don't you walk to me."_

He wished Casey were with him. He wanted to hold her in his arms and tell her that everything was going to be okay. He wanted to dance with her to this song. He wanted to sing it to her. 

"Baby run  
Cut a path across the blue sky  
Straight in a straight line  
You can't get here fast enough  
Find a truck and fire it up."

Elliot felt his eyes fill with tears. He took a deep breath and blinked his eyes several times hoping the tears would go away. He watched Taylor Swift sing and play the guitar. _Maybe I'll get the girls guitars for Christmas._

_  
"Lean on the gas and off the clutch  
Leave Dallas in the dust  
I need you in a rush  
So baby run  
So baby run."_

_  
_Elliot got up and went over to the window.

_  
"Oh if you aint got a suitcase  
Get a box  
Or an old brown paper sack  
Pack it light or pack it heavy  
Take a truck, take a Chevy  
Baby just come back."_

He wanted Casey to come back. He felt a tear fall down his cheek. He heard a knock on his apartment door. His heart began to beat faster. _Casey?_ God how he prayed it was Casey at the door. He wiped his cheek and walked over to he door. He opened it and he held his breath. It was indeed Casey.

_  
"There's a short cut to the highway out of town  
Why don't ya take it  
Don't let that speed limit slow ya down  
Go on and break it  
Baby break it."  
_

He moved to the side and allowed her to step into his apartment.

Casey looked glanced at the TV. then back at Elliot. It was her favorite song. She smiled. "Hi" she said softly.

"Hi." Elliot replied.

Casey looked down at her hands. She felt a cold breeze flow by her carrying a familiar scent. In an instant, she had her arms wrapped around Elliot's neck and he had his arms around her waist.

_  
"And run  
Cut a path across the blue sky  
Straight in a straight line  
You can't get here fast enough  
Find a truck and fire it up  
Lean on the gas and off the clutch  
Leave Dallas in the dust  
I need you in a rush  
So baby run."  
_

He held her close, taking in her scent. He let his tears fall from his eyes. He wanted to memorize this very moment. "I love you, Casey." He whispered in her ear. He wanted her to know that. His heart jumped in his chest when he heard Casey's words clearly, as she whispered them into his ear.

"I love you too, Elliot."

__

"Run to me  
Baby run  
Run to me  
So baby run  
Run  
Oh baby run."

* * *

**The End....?**


	11. Forever and Always

**Future NYPD, LOCISU and Jennytvgirl, this is for you.**

**Oh and dont forget to become and fan of Diane Neal on facebook! The link is in my profile!**

* * *

Olivia walked into the church and smiled as she took in her surrounding. The door entrance of the church was decorated with over a few dozen yellow roses and white lilies. It was indeed a beautiful sight. The end of each row was decorated with a dozen white roses. _God, this must have been expensive. Nevertheless, it is beautiful._ Olivia thought to herself. The alter was decorated with a few dozen red rose and white lilies. Olivia was looking forward to this very day. She walked down the corridor and entered the room at the end of the hall. She stepped inside and shut the door behind her quietly. Casey was sitting on the chase looking out the window. Casey hair was flowing in curls down her back. Half of it was tied back with small flower pins. Her make up was natural. She was glowing.

"You look absolutely beautiful." Olivia said as she took a seat next to Casey.

"I have been waiting for this day for two years now." Casey said softly.

"_I love Carrie Underwood." Alex said as she took a sip of her drink._

_Olivia laughed. "I would just shoot the car." _

_Casey and Elliot laughed at Olivia's statement. Carrie Underwood had just performed one of her hits called "Before He Cheats". _

_Elliot stood up and grabbed Casey's arm. "Come on. Let's go dance."_

_Casey got up and followed Elliot to the dance floor. Leaving Alex and Olivia at the table. Both had smirks on their faces causing Casey to ponder what they had up their sleeve._

"_Ladies and gentlemen, Taylor Swift!" The host announced over the mic. _

"_Wooo!" Casey yelled and clapped her hands. She was a big fan of Taylor Swift. The girl was a wonderful songwriter and musician. _

_Taylor stepped onto the stage with her acoustic electric guitar in hand. She had her usual summer dress and cowboy boots on. "Thank you." Taylor sat down in the stool and positioned her guitar on her lap. "We all believe in love stories and fairy tales. Happy birthday, Casey Novak. This song is for you."_

_Casey looked at Elliot with a smile. Elliot had to admit it was the biggest smile he had ever seen. He laughed and pulled her close to him. They danced slowly as Taylor began to play. _

"_I like this acoustic version of this song. It's nice." Casey said as she rested her head against Elliot's shoulder._

"_We were both young when I first saw you_

_I close my eyes and the flashback starts_

_I'm standing there on a balcony in summer air_

_See the lights see the party the ball gowns_

_See you make your way through the crowd_

_And say hello_

_Little did I know"_

_Elliot took in the sent of her perfume. Channel Chance. God it smelled good on her. He looked over to his right and saw that Alex was now dancing next to them with a mysterious man and Olivia was to his left, dancing with Agent Porter. She was probably giving him a hard time for being late. Eliot laughed to himself quietly. _

"_That you were Romeo you were throwing pebbles_

_And my daddy said stay away from Juliet_

_And I was crying on the staircase _

_Begging you, please don't go_

_And I said"_

_Elliot looked down at Casey as he heard her begin to sing with the song. "I should start playing guitar."_

_Elliot laughed as he spun Casey around in a circle. "Yeah? I can teach you." He brought Casey back to him and wrapped his arms around her again._

"_Romeo take me somewhere we can be alone_

_I'll be waiting all there's left to do is run_

_You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess_

_It's a love story baby just say yes._

_So I'll sneak out to the garden to see you_

_We keep quiet cause we're dead if they knew_

_So close your eyes_

_Escape this town for a little while_

_Oh cause you were Romeo, I was a scarlet letter_

_And my daddy said stay away from Juliet_

_But you were everything to me_

_I was begging you please don't go _

_And I said"_

_Casey made eye contact with Alex and they both smiled at each other. She loved this moment. Being with her friends and the man she loves. Her world was complete._

"_Romeo take me somewhere we can be alone_

_I'll be waiting all there's left to do is run_

_You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess_

_It's a love story baby just say yes_

_Romeo save me they're trying to tell me _

_How to feel_

_This love is difficult but it's real_

_Don't be afraid we'll make it out of this mess_

_It's a love story baby just say yes_

_I got tired of waiting_

_Wondering if you were ever coming around_

_My faith in you was fading_

_When I met you on the outskirts of town_

_And I said"_

_Elliot pulled away from Casey and took a deep breath. "I love you, Casey."_

"_I love you too, El." Casey said. _

"_Romeo save I've been feeling so alone_

_I keep waiting for you but you never come_

_Is this in my head I don't know what to think"_

_Casey tilled her head as Elliot lowered himself to the ground._

"_He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring and said"_

_Her eyes went wide as Elliot opened a small box revealing the most beautiful ring she had ever seen._

"_Marry me Casey you'll never have to be alone_

_I love you and that's all I really know_

_I talked to your dad go pick out a white dress_

_It's a love story baby just say yes"_

_Casey screamed at the top of her lungs. "Yes!" _

_Elliot placed the ring on Casey's finger and lifter her up in the air. Everyone had formed a circle around them and were now clapping and cheering for them. _

"_Oh oh oh, oh oh oh_

_Cause we were both young when I first saw you"_

Casey smiled as replayed that night in her mind. It was amazing. She looked down at the engagement ring that was now on her right hand. A beautiful 1.5 princess cut center diamond on 18k white gold ring. Alex must have helped Elliot pick out the ring. Casey turned to face Olivia and wrapped her arms around her friend. "I'm getting married today!"

"That you are."

Casey and Olivia both turned their attention to the door and greeted their friend with a smile.

"Alex, you shouldn't sneak up on the bride. You wouldn't want to give her a heart attack on the day of her wedding." Olivia joked as she gave Alex a hug.

Alex hugged Casey next. "You are indeed a beautiful bride. Let's get you dressed." Alex was already dressed in her bridesmaid gown. Casey's colors were white, silver, chocolate brown and baby blue. Alex was in a baby blue silk strapless dress. "Liv, you should change also."

Olivia looked down at her jogging pants. "Right."

Alex positioned Casey in front of the mirror. Casey had her dress hanging on the rack next to the mirror. Alex unzipped the bag revealing a beautiful strapless lace white gown. She help Casey put on the mermaid style dress. Alex laced up the back of the corset. "This dress is amazing." The dressed hugged Casey's upper body and flared out at her knees. Alex adjusted the train of the dress and straighten up to get a good look at Casey. She was just absolutely breath taking.

Casey looked at herself in the mirror. She had picked out this dress with Olivia's help. It had taken her about five hours a day for about ten days before she found the perfect dress. "How do I look?" Casey said as she turned around to see the smile on both Olivia's and Alex's face. Olivia had changed into her dress. It was also baby blue like Alex's but Olivia's was sided strap.

"You look beautiful. But you already know that."

Alex and Olivia looked around the room for the source of the voice. Casey's heart skip a beat. She hadn't heard that voice in over a year. She felt a cold breeze pass her carrying the scent she found so relaxing. A whirl of light formed in between all three of them and her best friend appeared before them. Alex and Olivia moved to stand next to Casey as they kept their eyes on Jade. Casey didn't think Alex could get any paler. "Jade."

"Did you think I was going to miss your big day?" Jade said as she stepped closer to Casey. She wasn't in a white suit this time. She was wearing a baby blue dress with a corset top and a mermaid style bottom. She pulled Casey into a hug to show her friend that was there.

Casey tightened the hug. "I haven't had a dream about you in two years."

Jade let go of Casey and adjusted Casey's curls. "Because you didn't need me anymore. You over came your fears and allowed your friends into your heart." Jade looked at Alex and Olivia. "I figured I had to help you convince your friends here that you weren't crazy. However, I feel that Olivia believes you, but Alex seems to be the skeptical one."

Alex cleared her throat. "At this moment, I would have to disagree."

Olivia stepped around Casey and took a hold of Alex's arm. "We're going to go check on the guest."

Casey nodded and watched them leave the room. She turned around and looked at herself in the mirror. She was nervous and excited. Today, she would become Mrs. Casey Stabler. She had her family and her best friends by her side, both alive and dead. She took a deep breath and ran her hands down her dress. "I wish I could capture this moment on camera."

Jade walked over to Casey's bag and pulled out Casey's personal camera. She walked back over to Casey and right arm around Casey's shoulder and held the camera out in front of them with her left. "What do they call this? A "myspace shot"?"

They both laughed. Casey placed her hands on Jade's arms and they both smiled for the picture. Jade handed Casey the camera and placed a kiss on her cheek. "Are you ready to be Mrs. Casey Stabler?"

* * *

Elliot stood up at the alter with Dickey at his side. They had just finished seating the rest of the guest. "You have the rings right?"

Dickey patted his father's back and smiled. "Yeah dad, I have the rings."

Elliot looked up to see Alex nodded at him. It was time. He took a deep breath and nodded to the violin player.

The guest all turned to the entrance of the church. Alex was the first to walk down the aisle. She held the bouquet of white roses in her hands. Her walk was graceful and elegant. She wicked at Elliot as she took her place at the alter. Olivia was next to follow. She had a smile on her face as she stood in front of Alex. The music changed and the guest all stood up. Elliot felt his heart racing. He looked at the door way and saw Casey step into the aisle escorted by her father in his army uniform. She had her bouquet of white roses and white lilies in her left hand while her right was on her father's arms. He couldn't help but smile at the sight before him. She the most beautiful woman in the world. Her long hair was flowing gracefully down her back. Her dress fit her beautifully fit body like a lace glove. They made eye contact and she smiled before mouthing a "hi". Elliot returned her smile and mouth, "you look beautiful" to her.

Casey and her father reached the alter. Mr. Novak placed a kiss on Casey's head before taking her hand in his. He handed Elliot Casey's hand and took his seat next to Casey's mother. The priest began the wedding ceremony. Casey and Elliot couldn't take their eyes off each other.

"Elliot, are you ready to read your vows?" The priest asked loudly.

"Casey, you are beautiful inside and out. Until this very day, my heart skips a beat when you walk into a room. Your kindness, your strength and faith in me has made me a better person. You complete my life, you complete my soul. I promise to protect you, to serve you, to love you for all eternity. In life and in death." Elliot placed the ring on Casey's ring finger. He felt a tear fall down his cheek. "With this ring, I thee wed."

"Elliot, I never knew what true love was until I met you. You showed me that it's okay to be weak. You made me feel safe, no matter what the situation was. You taught me to love myself. You're smile melts my heart. When I wake up next to you every morning, I know that my life is complete. I promise to stand by you, to protect you, and to love you for all eternity. In life and in death, I will be with you always," Casey placed the ring on Elliot's ring finger. "With this ring, I thee wed."

"Ladies and gentlemen, allow me the honor to introduce, Mr. Elliot Stabler and Mrs. Casey Stabler." The guests cheered and applaud. "You may now kiss the bride."

Elliot pulled Casey into his arms. "I love you, Mrs. Stabler."

Casey smiled. "I love you, Mr. Stabler."

Elliot leaned Casey over to his side. He leaned over her and kissed her passionately. Today was the begging of their lives together. Forever and Always.

* * *

**The End! Hope you guys liked it. I had fun writing it. Now on to finish "Life or Death" haha **

**Sequel?**


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